Photo courtesy of vecteezy.com

MIAMI – Hotdogs are one of America’s favorite snacks, especially during the 4th of July celebration and at ballparks.

Concert goers also love to sink their teeth into a juicy jumbo hotdog while enjoying the show.

But most people are unaware that hotdogs are unhealthy and excessive consumption can cause heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and colon cancer, according to a survey.

The new study, conducted by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine,  discovered that most Americans eat a lot of hot dogs and yet still have no clue about their health risks.

Despite the overwhelming cultural concept of hot dogs being simultaneously delicious and deeply unhealthy, nearly 90 percent of Americans either don’t know or can’t identify the specific health risks associated with processed meat.

The World Health Organization classifies hotdogs as a group 1 carcinogen, meaning there’s convincing enough evidence that it causes cancer in humans.

Eating only 50 grams of processed meat, which is roughly the equivalent of a single hot dog per day, is associated with an 18 percent increase in the risk of colorectal cancer.

Beyond that, processed meats are regularly linked to heart disease, type II diabetes, and a variety of chronic illnesses.

Of course, the survey isn’t suggesting that eating one hot dog and a barbecue on July 4 is a public health emergency.

It’s more about the long, sustained habit of regularly eating hot dogs, even though they are darn delicious.

They are inexpensive, readily available, and easy to cook, so it makes sense that many people eat hot dogs as a quick source of sustenance.